Dundas named as new water resources director for Asheville

From the city of Asheville

Press Release

The City of Asheville is pleased to announce that, after a nationwide search, Jade Dundas will serve as the City’s new Water Resources Director, effective July 13.

Dundas comes to the City of Asheville from Sioux City, Iowa, where he served as Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director since 2010. Two years before that he served as Sioux City’s Utilities Director.

Prior to that, he was with the City of Wichita, Kansas, for 14 years where he served as Utilities Director.

He received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.

“We are excited to find a Water Resources Director with the depth and breadth of experience Jade has,” said City Manager Gary Jackson. “We look forward to a smooth transition as he assumes leadership of the department.”

Dundas will take over for the retiring Steve Shoaf who served as Water Resources Director the last six years. Steve Shoaf’s last day will be June 20.

Each day, Asheville’s water system delivers an average of 19.9 million gallons of water to more than 125,000 people in Asheville, Buncombe County and Hendersonville County.

In 2014, the department earned the Walter J. Courmon Safety Award for its safety programs and procedures that protect employees on the job.  The department has excelled in programs addressing accident prevention, heavy equipment training, electrical safety, emergency action planning and other on-the-job risks.

Most recently, the City of Asheville became the first municipality in the state to issue green bonds. Money from these bonds is being used to pay for infrastructure improvements and enhancements to protect Asheville’s water resources.